I had the great privilege recently of taking a couple of friends with me to play the incredible Tom Fazio course at Hudson National Golf Club. Perched high in the hills above the Hudson River in Croton-on-Hudson, New York, Hudson National is a course that has earned a reputation for greatness in the quarter century or so since it opened for play in its current form. I was fortunate to receive an invitation from a great guy -- a New York-area real estate developer -- who generously offered to not only have me out to visit the club but to bring along my friends, Gregg and Ben, for what turned out to be a wonderful day in spite of early fog and the threat of rain througout our round.
Hudson National sits on 260 acres of land with spectacular views of the Hudson River Valley everywhere you turn. No doubt inspired by the beauty of the valley below us, as we made our way around the course throughout the day, I found myself humming the song "Peace in the Valley." That song's been sung by quite a few artists over the years, but the version I'm most familiar with is from Elvis Presley's long-ago appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show. I'd known that performance was recorded early in his career, but I wasn't aware of the date -- January 6, 1957 -- until I got home after this round and looked it up online. That's worth noting only because January 6 (2015) also happens to be my son's birthday, and Clark was heavy on my mind as I played my round and hummed that song at Hudson National.
I've always found the golf course -- any golf course -- to be a great place for quiet contemplation. It's always been a place where I've found a deep sense of peace, regardless of how I might be playing or what might be happening in my life. And with vistas like those at Hudson National, it's hard not to take a little time to consider one's place in the world, think about the big ideas and maybe even talk a bit with God. I used to joke on Sunday mornings, when my first wife's father and I would head out to play 36 or sometimes 54 holes at a course we frequented in the high hills of the Laural Highlands, that we were going to "pray on the mount." And on this day, I found myself a bit deeper than I do during most rounds in my ongoing conversation with God about the great blessing of being a father and the terrifying pace at which my time as a dad -- my time to teach and shape my son -- is slipping away. He's only seven, but just yesterday he was two, I swear. Each day is another grain of sand through the neck of the hour glass, another opportunity seized or missed to help him become the person he's meant to be.
Hudson National is a golf course that demands your focus ... in a setting that beckons you to think about things that are so much bigger than birdies and pars. And I was thankful both for the chance to experience the club with a great group of guys and for the reminder to be as purposeful as possible in my time with Clark when I returned home. Funny how a simple game of golf can be so much more than just a game of golf.
Currently ranked No. 89 on Golf Digest's list of the top 100 courses in America, Hudson National stretches to more than 7,100 yards from the back tees. Playing to a par of 70, that's a long, long course. Our group played from the white tees, at 6,433 yards, which felt right for us, and all yardages mentioned from here on out in the blog will be from the white tees unless otherwise noted.
Hole 1 - 435 Yards - Par 4
The fog was lifting but still hung low as we mounted the first tee and began our round. The first hole is a long par 4 playing slightly downhill. The fiarway is framed by bunkers left and right, but only those on the right should be in play for most players, sitting at about 230 yards from the tee. Balls played down the left side of this fairway will bound left into the rough.
The approach shot on No. 1 plays to a long, narrow, elevated green guarded by bunkers front-left and back-right. With a mid- to long-iron in your hands in the fairway, simply finding the green in regulation on this hole is the makings of a good approach shot. Miss the green, and lies in either of those greenside bunkers or the thick rough can lead to a very difficult up-and-down.
Hole 2 - 173 Yards - Par 3
"Don't go at that pin." That was the advice my caddie gave me as I approached the tee on the second hole. The flag was tucked back-left, over top of a deep and unforgiving bunker without much room to hold the green for a ball that cleared the trap. From the tee, this hole plays slightly uphill, and you see more of the two greenside bunkers than you do of the green. Being a good student, I aimed my tee shot at the right side of the green, thinking I'd play a little draw into the center and maybe get lucky with a bounce toward the hole. Instead, I yanked it left and my ball headed straight for the flag. "Great shot!" my playing partners cheered as my ball disappeared over the ridge above the bunker, landing somewhere in the vicinity of the hole. And I merely thanked them instead of explaining how that wasn't at all the shot I intended to hit! For a mid-length par-3, this hole has the potential to be quite treacherous. Between the bunkers and a green that doesn't look like it offers very many flat putts, par on this hole is a very good score.
Hole 3 - 410 Yards - Par 4
No. 3 is a tough driving hole. Balls hit down the middle will almost certainly find the left rough as the fairway cants in that direction. But balls hit to the right run the risk of landing in one of the fairway bunkers on that side of the hole, especially as the fairway narrows the farther you drive the ball. The ideal tee shot is just left of the second fairway bunker.
Whatever you do on the approach shot on No. 3, don't go left. If you're lucky, a ball hit left will find a very deep bunker, making for a really difficult up-and-down. If you're unlucky, a ball pulled left will kick deep down into the valley below the green and bunkers, leaving you with a blind shot to a green that may be as much as 30 feet or more above your head. For players who find the green with their second shot, a knoll in the right center of the putting surface will lead virtually all putts to break toward the left side of this green.
Hole 4 - 356 Yards - Par 4
Hole No. 4 offers our first glance at one of the coolest features on the course at Hudson National -- the stone ruins of the clubhouse that once sat atop this hill nearly a century ago, when a smaller, less ambitious golf course development was abandoned, another victim of the Great Depression. When Tom Fazio designed Hudson National in the mid-1990s, he left the ruins of the old clubhouse, the chimneys of which serve as aiming points off the tee or from other certain angles on the fourth hole. From the tee on No. 4, either the far-left or center chimneys visible at the top of the hill serve as good driving lines. But, as I found out, the chimney on the far-right makes for a terrible aiming line! There is a single fairway bunker on the left side of this hole that, given the uphill nature of this hole, is likely only reachable for really long hitters. The real trouble on this hole, off the tee, is the thick rough and long fescue for those who miss the fairway.
Like the drive, the second shot plays uphill as well -- this time, to a relatively flat green protected by a large bunker that sits below the green to the right. Find the green, and this could be a birdie hole. Find the bunker, with its deep face, and you just might have troube finding the green! Ask me how I know ...
Hole 5 - 412 Yards - Par 4
From the fifth tee, a look up the hill to the left offers a terrific look at the stone ruins of the old clubhouse. While the course was intended to be a nine-holer, the clubhouse appears to have been massive. Fortunately for the members of Hudson National, the stone clubhouse they enjoy today appears to be just as grand, if not moreso.
Hole No. 5 is a very cool downhill par-4 that has more trouble than it appears from the tee. Seems simple enough; the hole bends from left to right, so just hit a fade or even a straight ball at the right side of the fairway, and set yourself up with a mid- or short-iron into the green way down below on the right. But don't try to cut the dogleg; those trees on the right are jail. And definitely don't double-cross yourself while trying to hit that fade and send one into the high, deep rough and fesce on the left side of the fairway. That route will turn this par-4 into a par-8. Once again, ask me how I know ...
The fairway narrows the closer this hole gets to the green, but for those who do find the short grass off the tee, No. 5 represents a relatively straightforward shot into this green that sits well below the player in the fairway. Adjust for the elevation and aim for the front half of this green to avoid going long.
The look back up the hill at the fifth hole is one of the coolest views on the course that doesn't involve the Hudson River Valley -- looking past the pin, up the hill, and all the way to the stone ruins of the long-gone clubhouse. At this point in the round, my game felt a bit like it was in ruins, but we won't dwell on that.
Hole 6 - 530 Yards - Par 5
No. 6 is a long par-5 made longer by the fact that it plays almost entirely uphill. Off the tee, players need to avoid the largest water hazard on the course, along with four fairway bunkers that serve to both tighten the landing area and visually intimidate the golfer on the tee. For those who find the fairway, the second shot plays up and over the hill, moving right to left toward a green that can't be seen from the fairway down below.
The approach to No. 6 offers players the option to run the ball into this green, which is guarded by bunkers left and right. For those who find the green, stopping the ball pin-high may be the difference between birdie and a three-putt bogey as multiple ridges front, middle and back on this green make putting this hole a lot trickier the farther you are from the cup. The approach on No. 6 also offers one of the course's first looks out at the Hudson River. The valley was still bathed in fog at this point in the morning, but we could make out the water, cliffs and high hills in the distance, on the other side of the great river.
Being a member at Pete Dye Golf Club, I've got quite a bit of fondness for our halfway house -- Pete's Place. But the little stone cottage, veranda and firepit that make up the halfway house at Hudson National is a very cool place. If it weren't so far from the clubhouse, I could imagine members just coming out to hang out in this spot, admire the view and enjoy their lunch and maybe a few cold beverages. This idyllic spot sits in between the greens of holes 6, 9 and 13 and between the tees of 7, 10 and 14, likely making it a perfect location with many opportunities to serve players passing through.
Hole 7 - 366 Yards - Par 4
No. 7 is a straightaway par-4 and a definite scoring opportunity for players who can find the fairway off the tee. Playing downhill, there is ample opportunity for a good drive to run down the hill, leaving just a short-iron or wedge into the green on this terrific sub-400 yard hole.
The approach on No. 7 plays to an elevated green with bunkers left and front-right. But with just a short-iron or wedge in your hands, systems are all "Go!" to take dead aim at the pin on this hole.
Hole 8 - 161 Yards - Par 3
Hudson National has five par-3 holes, and I don't know if I can pick any one as my favorite over the others. There is nothing tricky about the eighth hole. It's a mid-length tee shot to a two-tier green with bunkers left and right and a forced carry over the wetlands. Players who find the right level of the green will have an excellent chance at birdie. But regardless of where the pin may be located, there is absolutely nothing wrong on this hole with simply hitting into the middle of the green every time.
Hole 9 - 520 Yards - Par 5
The strategy off the tee on hole No. 9 is pretty straightforward. Avoid the fairway bunker on the left and find the short stuff. If you can do those two things, this par-5 becomes a real scoring opportunity. Playing over a stream, it's important to carry your drive far enough to reach the fairway. From there, the hole will bend from right to left.
The second shot on No. 9 plays out to a narrowing fairway. A solid mid-iron that keeps the ball in play will set up a scoring approach. Players who decide to get aggressive will have to deal with a fairway bunker about 70 yards short of the green and then a large greenside bunker left-front of the putting surface, either of which could turn thoughts of eagles and birdies into a scramble just to score par.
For those who lay back of the bunkers, a wedge or short-iron shot of 100 or maybe 125 yards to one of the flatter greens on the golf course is the reward and sets up a terrific chance at birdie.
Hole 10 - 370 Yards - Par 4
The 10th hole is a relatively short par-4 that doesn't require a driver off the tee. Fairway bunkers on the right, beginning just about 215 yards off the tee and left at about 245, along with high natural grasses left and dense trees even farther left, make this a tight driving hole. Virtually anything in the short grass will set up a mid- to short-iron approach to this green, making this a risk-reward hole where the risks may be much bigger than the possible reward for those who attempt to hit a big stick and thread the needle.
The approach on 10 plays uphill to an elevated green that slopes significantly from right to left. Shots played to the left half of the green tend to kick left and are hard to stop on the putting surface, often rolling down into a deep collection area left and long of the green that can't be seen from the fairway. It's easy to hit what you believe to be a good shot into this hole only to climb the hill and find that your ball is actually sitting a dozen feet below the green with a very difficult up-and-down effort ahead of you. Better to play this approach to the right side of the green and either let the contours of the green feed your ball toward the cup or accept the long two-putt to collect your par.
Hole 11 - 145 Yards - Par 3
Despite its relatively short length, No. 11 is a challenging par-3. The two-tier green makes putting from the wrong level a particular challenge, but even finding this green can be difficult as balls hit into the lower level with a short-iron run the risk of spinning off the front of the green and back down the false front into rough well below the putting surface. Balls hit left will similarly kick away from the green, leaving a challenging pitch shot to try to save par. And don't get me started on that bunker right of the green; playing from that bunker to a pin position on the front half of the green means anything long out of the sand runs the risk of rolling right off the putting surface and down either of the front or left slopes into the thick stuff.
Hole 12 - 503 Yards - Par 5
Hole No. 12 is a great par-5; just don't tell my scorecard that. The hole wraps around from right to left, and long hitters may elect to take their drive up and over the trees to try to set up a second shot into the green. Two bunkers at the bend make that a difficult but not impossible challenge ... again, for the longest hitters. For the mortals among us, the ideal line is at the far bunkers on the outside of the dogleg. They're a solid 295 yards or more from the white tee, and landing anything short of them in the fairway will set up either a relatively easy second shot layup or, possibly, even an opportunity to go for this green from somewhere in the vicinity of 220 yards.
The second shot -- for those who choose to layup -- doesn't require anything more than an easy mid-length iron down the middle of the fairway. The ball will kick somewhat right to left, so playing down the right side likely ensures that the ball finishes in the fairway and may set up the best approach angle into this green.
On the approach, the right side of the green is open to balls that come in low to the ground and will funnel running shots left toward the center of this wide green. There are four bunkers short of the green on the left side of the hole and one to the right, but the real trouble on the approach is long and left, where a small pond lies in wait for any errant shots. Find the green, and this could be a birdie hole.
We met one of the local residents on our way from the 12th green to the 13th tee. Guy was holding things up, so he let us play through.
Hole 13 - 170 Yards - Par 3
The 13th hole is a mid-length par-3 with bunkers short-left and long. Sloping from back to front, the speed of this green requires a deft touch to either sink your birdie putt or cozy one up to the cup for an easy par.
After we moved to the 14th tee, I looked back down at the green on 13 to take a picture -- just in time to watch the group behind us hit a ball that rolled onto the front of the green, rimmed the cup and spun out to maybe 10 feet right of the hole ... only to be followed by a player whose tee shot can't have finished more than about half a foot from the hole. Depending on the size of your screen, you may or may not be able to see their balls in this shot, but word of warning -- don't play those guys for money!
Hole 14 - 530 Yards - Par 5
The final par-5 on the course was my favorite long hole and is one of my favorite holes on the course. Come to think about it, I love the entire stretch of holes from 14 through the finish on 18. Off the tee on No. 14, players who can hit a fade off the bunkers and land on the right-hand side of the fairway will be rewarded with a perfectly positioned second shot.
With water down the right-hand side and a very little room to land a ball safely on or near the green, the safe play on this hole is to hit a mid-iron layup down the left side of the fairway to set up a wedge or short-iron approach to this green.
The approach on No. 14 plays into a long, narrow green protected by bunkers short of the hole and water very close on the right. Anything on the green will do here to avoid a disastrous big number and possibly even set up a birdie opportunity.
Hole 15 - 407 Yards - Par 4
The 15th is my favorite hole on the course. In typical fashion, I played it terribly, but I absolutely love the design. High walls cut out of the rock in the hillside frame the tee box and right side of the hole, which plays straight out off the tee and then bends right across a chain of devilish bunkers.
From the left side of the hole -- the wrong side of teh hole -- I found myself in knee-high grass with no chance to chop a ball far enough to cross the bunkers, forcing a layup just to get it back into the fairway. But I did love the look of the hole from here -- with the low stone wall down the left side, the prominent (and problematic) bunkers in the middle of the hole, and the green out in the distance.
The approach on No. 15 plays to an elevated green with bunkers left and long. The green itself slopes from right to left, but will yield its fair share of one-putts as it is one of the flattest greens on a course with very few flattish greens.
Hole 16 - 224 Yards - Par 3
The final par-3 is the longest on the course and offers a spectacular view of the Hudson River Valley beyond and below. Playing downhill, the hole doesn't play to quite its length, but it definitely takes a big-league poke to get to the green from the tee. Fortunately, there is plenty of room and fairway short to run a ball up the middle, between the bunkers and into this putting surface. This is one of the largest greens on the course, which can mean it's easier to hit than most but also means there is ample room to three- or even four-putt this beautiful hole.
Hole 17 - 301 Yards - Par 4
I'd say that No. 17 is one of my favorite holes on the course except I fear my readers would begin to think I'm just copying and pasting paragraphs. But it is a really fun hole -- a short par-4 that may actually be reachable for the longest hitters. It does play a bit longer than the 301 yards on the card due to the change in elevation. Bunkers on both sides of the fairway and near the green complex make going for it a dangerous proposition -- not to mention the dramatic drop-off into the high grasses the entire left side of the hole. The play off the tee is to just find the short grass, potentially playing something less than a driver to be sure you keep your ball in play.
My friend Ben and I found ourselves just a couple yards apart off the tee, less than 100 yards from the pin. Ben proposed a $5 closest-to-the-pin competition, and while I'm not much of a gambler, it's fun from time to time to introduce a little bit of friendly competition into a round to get the adrenaline flowing. Unfortunately for Ben, he followed with one of his worst shots of the day -- he's a solid golfer, so it was just a bit of bad luck and bad timing -- making it easy on me to just loft an easy sandwedge into the middle of the green to take the cash. Until next time, Ben!
The green on No. 17 sits above the fairway with bunkers short, left and right of the putting surface. Long balls run the risk of settling in the high grass beyond the green or even ricocheting off of the low rock wall. Apart from a false front that will reject approach shots that come up just a little bit short, this green is relatively flat and an excellent opportunity for one last birdie before the long and difficult finishing hole.
Hole 18 - 437 Yards - Par 4
No doubt about it, No. 18 is a beast of a hole. Long. Tight. And did I mention long? Left is virtually dead, as the hole drops off into high grass and trees from which recovering for par is nearly impossible. More tree trouble lurks right, along with a long, winding bunker just right of the fairway.
I hit one of the best shots of my life out of the fairway bunker on the right on No. 18. With no room to stand in the bunker, I was perched in the rough above the sand with the ball a good 8 inches below my feet in a very narrow sliver of sand. I knew I couldn't get out of the bunker with enough club to reach the green, some 210 yards away. And I knew there was danger both left and right of the fairway. Somehow, I managed to hit a cut 7-iron that started down the left side of the hole and carved right, following the left edge of the fairway for 100 yards or more until the ball settled in the middle of the fairway just 30 yards from the pin. I didn't get up and down for the par, but I was happy to save my bogey to close out a fun round and cap a really memorable day.
On the 18th tee, our host, Craig, offered to take a picture of Ben (left), Gregg (right) and I. What an incredible backdrop on what turned out to be a gorgeous day for a round of golf. I can't say enough about the course, the club and the camraderie. Ben, who I met when he was a caddie at Merion Golf Club, is now on the path to eventually becoming a club pro. He's a great guy with a terrific attitude and a deep love for the game. I've written here before about Gregg, my best golfing buddy and the only guy I know willing to spend the ridiculous sums of money it takes to join me on my crazy golfing adventures at some of the greatest golf courses in North America. He's good people and, as I write this, we're preparing to play a couple of fantastic courses on Long Island.
Hudson National is all class ... right down to the fact that they had my name on my locker when I arrived to play. Our host, Craig, was a wonderful guy -- gracious and generous to share his day with us on the course and enjoying a few post-round drinks in the club's well-appointed men's locker room. From the members we encountered to the staff to the clubhouse and the course, the only thing I could say about Hudson National's inclusion among the top 100 golf courses in the U.S. is that it may not yet be ranked high enough. My guess is that, as the course ages, it'll climb the rankings -- and deservedly so.
After finishing our round at Hudson National, I hit the road for the long drive back to Pittsburgh -- feeling great about my game, the progress I'm making in my quest to play the greats, the friendships I've developed through the sport, and -- not least of all -- the fact that by the end of the night I'd be back home with my family after a few days away. As I drove away from the club, along and across the Hudson, I thought about a few areas of my life that sometimes feel unsettled, and I was immediately comforted by my faith that God's got a plan for each of us, and it's working out pretty well for me so far. So, on some level, I guess I found some peace in the valley after all.
And on that note, it seems only fitting to close this post with the actual video of Elvis from that appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show so many years ago ...
Have you played Hudson National? Let me know your thoughts on the course or the blog! Drop a comment below, or send me an email at shawn@iputtaround.com!